Device for closing and carrying containers



March l6, 1943; J. F. SPRINGBORN 2,314,252

. DEVICE FOR CLOSING AND CARRYING CONTAINERS Filed April 2, 1941 (10 bINVENTOR 6. Jivhn Frank/[n Spr/nyborn Patented Mar. 16, 1943 DEVICE FORCLOSING AND CARRYING CONTAINERS John Franklin Springborn, Wellsburg, W.Va., as-

signor of one-half to Hammond Bag & Paper Company, Wellsburg, W. Va.,

West Virginia a'corporation of Application April 2, 1941, Serial No.386,509 9 Claims. (01. 294-1) This invention in general is applicable toa device for closing and carrying a container. The structure is formedfrom a single piece of resilient material, for example, spring wire, sofashioned as to provide a device which is readily attached to anddetached from a container and which, when attached, not only closes theend of the container but also serves as a handle for carrying it.

It is common practice to close the ends of a bag-like container by a tiewire twisted around the gathered material which forms the mouth of thebag. Such a practice has its advantages but also its disadvantages,amongst which are that it is not feasible to disengage the tie so thatthe bag end can be opened to permit inspection of the bag contents andthen be readily closed by use of the same tie. Nor does such a fastenerprovide a handle for carrying the bag and, furthermore, the security ofthe tie depends on its initial application.

I have invented a device which overcomes these disadvantages. Thecombined fastener and handle made and applied according to my inventioncan readily be placed in position around the gathered end of the bag tofirmly close the end of the bag and grip the material forming the endmore tightly when the bag is lifted since'the greater the weight of thecontainer and contents the tighter the end is gripped. My device alsoforms a more convenient carrying handle.

It is well-known that a slip noose is a con.- venient and securearrangement for tying one object to another, and particularly is thistrue when an object is to be suspended, as the weight of the suspendedobject insures a tight connection. My invention makes use of the holdingpowers of a noose while the material from which a noose is made may befairly stiff and resilient. The device is simple in construction, veryeconomical to manufacture, simple to apply or disengage, and provides avery satisfactory means for handling and carrying a container with whichit is used.

One of the objects of my, invention is to make a slip noose structureout of resilient or semirigid material, or out of a piece of steelspring wire. Another object is to use such a slip noose in connectionwith a convenient carrying handle.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like numerals show similar parts, Ihave shown for purposes of illustration only certain present preferredembodiments of my invention. In the drawing-- Figure 1 is a plan view ofa fastener and handle device ready for application to a container;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the device applied to a bag toclose the mouth thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view along the line ILL-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a modified fastener and handle device;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing another modified fastener and handledevice; and

V Figure 6 is a view of the modification shown in Figure 5, but showingthe device unhooked and slightly tilted.

The combined closure fastener and handle illustrated inFigures l, 2 and3 may be conveniently'made from a continuous piece of resilientmaterial, such as spring wire of suitable length. The wire is bent toform a straight portion or handle Ill, and two arms H and I2, disposedrespectively on opposite sides of the handle The arm 12 extendssubstantially straight for a distance and is then curved to form a nooseportion or loop 13. The end of the arm is bent back on itself to form ahook Hi. The other arm H, which I prefer to extend from the handle in afairly gradual bend, extends to the arm i2 and is bent back on itself toform an elongated eye 15 which embraces the arm 12. The end of the armll passes inside the handle side of the arm and across and over it, andterminates in the point It. The point It will engage the bag materialwhen the bag is lifted and help to prevent relative movement between thebag and the noose.

In using my device I first gather the material adjacent the top of thebag B, after which the arm II and the noose portion 13, in the openposition shown in Figure 1, is manipulated to embrace the gather. Thehook I4 is then ongaged with arm H as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Theresiliency of the wire will cause the device to closely embrace thegathered bag end. The bag can then be lifted by the handle 10.

In Figure 4 I have shown a modification in which a portion of the arm Ila is shaped to form a ratchet H which will allow the hook Mo to slidein one direction, to the right, but will prevent sliding movement in theopposite direction along th arm Ila. This arrangement permits the noosel3a to be forced into very close engagement with the bag gather and tobe locked. against loosening. The noose can readily be disengaged byunhooking the hook Ma. It will be observed that the arm end Mia and theend of a hook Ma extend into the noose a short distance portion l0.

to provide points for engagement with the bag material in the noose, andthis enhances the anti-slip properties of the device.

The modified device illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 differs from thatshown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 in that the end of the arm lib terminates ina shepherds crook, and the end of the hook Mb is bent sharply to extendinto the noose.

It is realized that the present invention may be embodied and practicedin constructions other than those specifically disclosed herein andtherefore the disclosures are to be considered as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An article of the class described comprising a handl formed from apiece of' resilient wire with extending portions, the portions of wireextending from the opposite ends of the handle being formed into a slipnoose, the distal end of one of the noose-forming portions of the wirebeing shaped for detachably sliding engagement in one direction onlywith one of the noose-forming portions of the wire.

2. A combined closur fastener and handle formed from a piece of springwire bent to form a handle and a noose, each of the ends of the wireforming the noose having a hooked portion to engage a relativelystraight portion of the other end of the wire.

3. A combined closure fastener and handle formed from a piece of springwire bent to form a handle and a noose, one of the ends of the wireforming the noose having a hooked portion to engage a portion of theother end, the last named portion having means thereon to permit slidingof the hooked portion in only one direction therealong.

4. A combined closure fastener and handle formed from one piece ofresilient material bent to form a handle with extending arms, one arm ofthe handle extending through a hooked end of the other arm, and: bent toform a loop, the end of the loop having a hook and being slidablyengaged with the first mentioned arm in such,

manner that sliding can take place in one direction only.

5. A combined closure fastener and handle formed from one piece ofresilient material bent to form a handle with extending arms, one arm ofthe handle extending through a hooked end of the other arm, and bent toform a loop, the end of the loop having a hook which slidably engagesthe first-mentioned arm, the extreme end of at least one arm beinginclined inwardly to- Ward the second loop in such manner that slidingcan take place in one direction only.

6. An article of the class described formed from one piece of resilientwire, comprising a handle, two arms extending from opposite ends of thehandle, the end of each arm being formed to embrace the other arm andform a slip-noose, both arms being shaped to permit the sliding thereonof said arm-embracing ends, whereby both or the noose-forming portionsof said arms become shorter as the noose is tightened.

7. An article of the class described formed from one piece of resilientWire, comprising a handle, two arms extending from opposite ends of thehandle, the end of each arm terminating in a hook which slidably engagesthe other arm, the portions of the arms between the hooks forming a slipnoose and both of such nooseforming portions of the arms decreasinginlength when the noose is tightened, the end of one of said hooksfacing into the noose.

8. A combined closure fastener and handle formed from one piece ofresilient material bent to form a handle with extending arms, one armextending through and having a sliding engagement with a hooked end ofthe second arm, the end portion of said first mentioned arm being bentto form a loop, the end of the loop having a hook thereon whichslidably-engages the second arm to form a slip-noose, both of thenooseforming portions of said arms decreasing in length when the nooseis tightened.

9. A combined closure fastener and handle formed from one piece ofresilient material bent to form a handle with extending arms, one armextending through and having a sliding engagement with a hooked end ofthe second arm, the end portion of said first mentioned arm being bentto form a loop, the end of the loop having a hook thereon which slidablyengages the second arm, said second arm having a portion thereof shapedas to permit sliding of a hook therealong in one direction only.

JOHN FRANKLIN SPRINGBORN.

